Portable oxyacetylene welding generator



' .A- F. JENKINS. PORTABLE QXYACEWLENE'WELDING GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY18| I918- 1,410,31 6., Patented Mar. 21, 1922.

INVENTOR .19.]? .fezdcina.

ATTORNEY PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER FREDERICK JENKINS, OF BALTIMORE, i MARYLAND.

PORTABLE oXYAcE'rvLsnE WELDING ennnnaron,

Application filed May is,

To (127 whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, ALEXANDER F. JnxnrNs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Baltimore, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Tmprovements in Portable Oxyacetylene \Velding Generators, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to acetylene genera tors of the portable type especially adapted for oxy-acetylene welding service, and the invention has for its general object the provision of novel means for initially establislr ing a suitable gas pressure in the tank above the water level, and to enable the water level to be re-established from time to time.

A. more specific object of the invention is the provision of a gas-tight water tank in which the generating unit is submerged, in combination with a hand pump between the gas service pipe and the top of the tank, whereby acetylene gas can be supplied to the space in the tank above the water level for establishing the pressure suitable for oxyacetylene welding service, so that air will be entirely absent from the tank, and hence no explosive mixture is capable of being produced.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a water connection with the pump whereby the water level in the tank can be reestablished from time to time by the manipulation of the pump, there being valves between the pump and the gas service pipe and the water pipe, whereby the pump can be used for pumping either gas or water into the tank as needed.

lVith such and other objects in view, the invention comprises'various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be set forth with particularity in the following description and claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawing,

The figure is a central vertical section of the acetylene generator.

Referring to the drawing, 1 designates a tank for holdingwater 2, and in which is submerged a generating unit A of any approved construction which has suitable. means (not shown) for holding carbide; and connected with the top of the unit is an outlet pipe 3 which extends up to the top of the. tank and then turns downwardly into a vertical portion 4: which telescopes over a vertical pipe 5 fastened to the bottom 6 of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 21, 1922.

1918. Serial no. 235,430.

the tank and leading into a washer 7. Leading out of the washer 7 and fastened rigidly to the tank 1 is a service pipe 8. All of the foregoing parts are of common construction, and ordinarily the tank in this type of generator is open at the top, but to render the same suitable for generating gas at pressure adapted for cry-acetylene work, the top of the tank is sealed by a cover 9 which is provided with a suitable safety valve 10 set for ten or fifteen pounds pressure; and also on the cover 9 is a pressure gage 11.

The top of the tank, or the space above the water level, is filled with acetylene gas, and to supply this gas a pump 13 is connected with the service pipe 8 through a cock 12 and'with the top of the tank by pipe connection 13. When the tank is supplied with water, the unit A inserted, and the cover closed, the water will attack the carbide in the unit A and gas will flow to the pump soon as the cock 12 is opened. The pump is thenoperated so as to force gas into the top of the tank, andwhenthe desired pressure is reached the pumping operation is stopped.

As the generator continues in operation for some time the water'level lowers, and it may be desirable to reestablish the water level, and for this purpose the pump B has a water connection lelcontrolled by a cook 15. Before the water is pumped into the tank-the cook 12 of the gas line is closed and'the cook 15 opened, and then, by operating the pump, water is forced into the tank.

The tank is provided with a level indicator in the form of a. float 16 which surrounds a tube 17 sealedin and depending from the cover 9, the float being provided with a cage 18 which carries a level-indicating rod 19 that extends upwardly through the tube 17 and has an indicator 20 at the top. The tube 17 is closed by a cap 21, which, when removed, permits the water level to be ascertained by the position of the indicator 20.

On the side of the tank is a sealed outlet 22 of any approved construction, which allows water to run out until the normal water level is obtained.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the invention appertains, and while I have the art to which such changes may be made when desired as fall within the scope ofthe appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a in combination, a tank having inlet and outlet apertures, a generating unit in said tank for generating gas to pass through said outlet aperture, and pump means for returning under pressure to said tank through said inlet aperture a portion of the gas escaping through said outlet aperture.

2'. In a gas generator of the class described, in combination, a tank having inlet and outlet apertures, a generating unit in said tank for generating gas to pass through said out letaperture, and means for creating pressure in said tank including a manually oper able pumping device for returning under ;n"essure through said inlet aperture a part of the gas escaping through said outlet aperture. 7

3. In a gas generator of the class described,

in. combination, a tank having inlet and out let apertures, a generating unit in said tank for generating gas to pass through said outlet aperture, and means for forcing into said tank through said inlet aperture a part oi the gas escaping through said outlet aperture, or for forcing-water into said tank.

4:. In a gas generator of the class described, incombination, a tank having a gas outlet,

a gas generating unit in said tank for gen erating gas to escape through said outlet, a gas conduit for leading the gas from the generating unit to the gas outlet, and means for pumping a part ofthe gas generated in said generating unit into the space around the generating unit.

5. The combination of a Water and gas tight chamber, a gasgenerating means therein, a gas service pipe connected with the crating means by pumping gas generator of the class described,

said means, and means connected with the service pipe and with the interior of the chamber for establishing in the latter a gas pressure above that derived from said gengas from the service pipe into the chamber- 6. An acetylene generator comprising a gas and Water-tight tank, acetylene gas generating means submerged in the tank, a gas service pipe connected with the said means,

a pump connected with'the top of the tank, a valve-controlled connection between the pump and the service pipe for permitting acetylene gas to be forced into the top of the tank, and a valve-controlled water pipe connected with the pump for permitting water to be supplied to the tank.

7. An acetylene generator comprising a gas andWater-tight tank, erating means submerged in the tank, a gas service pipe connected with the said means, a pump connected with the top of the tank, a valve-controlled connection between the pump and the service pipe, for permitting acetylene gas to be forced into the top of the tank, a valvecontrolled water pipe con nected with the pump for permitting water to be supplied to the tank, and a gas-sealed water level indicator connected with. the top of the tank.

8. An acetylene generator comprising a gas and water-tight tank, acetylene gas generating means submerged in the tank, a gas service pipe connected with the said means, a pump connected with the top of thetank, a valve-controlled connection between the pump and the service pipe for permitting acetylene gas to be forced into the top of the tank, a valve-controlled Water pipe connected with the pump for permitting water to be supplied to the tank, a gassealed water level indicator connected with the top of the tank, and a sealed outlet connected with the tank at the normal level thereof.

ALEXANDER FREDERICK JENKINS.

Witness:

C. R. POLLARD, Jr.

acetylene gas gen- 

